Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao brought Panchayati Raj; Centre weakening institutions, says Congress

Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh said on the national Panchayati Raj Day that former prime ministers Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao introduced and strengthened the Panchayati Raj whereas the central government was trying to weaken it.

New Delhi:The Congress on Monday credited former prime ministers Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao for giving constitutional status to Gram Sabha and alleged the Modi government was trying to weaken the Panchayati Raj institutions.

“Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi passed the 73rd Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha in 1989 giving Constitutional status to the Gram Sabha. However, the bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha as the then government lacked majority in the upper house. Then prime minister PV Narasimha Rao got the bill passed in the Rajya Sabha in 1993. In 2010, for the first time then prime minister Manmohan Singh decided that April 24 will be observed as National Panchayati Raj Day every year. The amendment brought about a big change in the country’s politics and the credit for it must go to Rajiv Gandhi who conceived the idea,” Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh said on the national Panchayati Raj day.

“But the Modi government has been trying to weaken the Panchayati Raj institutions by withholding grants and not holding polls every five years. We demand the government should implement the constitutional provisions related to grants to Gram Sabha and holding polls every five years in letter and spirit,” he said. The Congress leader cited various instances when the BJP state governments delayed polls in the Panchayati Raj institutions and were pulled up by the various courts.

“On December 29, 2022, the Karnataka high court imposed a Rs 5 lakh fine on the state government for delaying the Gram Sabha polls. On May 18, 2022, the Supreme Court expressed concern that delays in Gram Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh were affecting the law and order situation in the state. In February 2021, the Gram Sabha polls got delayed by 18 months,” said Ramesh.

The Rajya Sabha member further charged that the central government was also trying to weaken the rural jobs scheme MGNREGS which also aims at strengthening the Panchayati Raj institutions through the direct transfer of funds and not routing them through state governments.

“As a result, the 2.5 lakh Gram Sabha across the country are not getting enough funds. And in many places, Gram Sabha polls are not held every five years. The purpose of the 73rd Constitution amendment bill was to strengthen democracy at the village level,” said Ramesh. According to the Congress veteran, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday listed his government’s achievements on the national Panchayati Raj day, “he did not explain to the people why the BJP had opposed the 73rd Constitution Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha in 1989.”

“The Bill was defeated in the Rajya Sabha in 1989 when Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister by just 5 votes. Those who had opposed the bill included BJP members as well,” said Ramesh. The Congress leader said he did not believe the PM’s claim that the government built 30,000 Panchayat Bhavans across the country. “Making Panchayat Bhavans is not enough. I don’t take the PM’s claims on the numbers seriously. He is a master in the game of numbers. Why is the PM silent on the role of the Panchayati Raj institutions?” Ramesh added.